Alexandroupoli

Alexandroupoli is the largest city in Greek Thrace and the capital of the Evros regional unit, spread along the northern shore of the Thracian Sea in the far north-east of the country, close to the Turkish border. It is a relatively young city by Greek standards, growing up around a railway station in the second half of the 19th century, and it has the open, grid-planned feel of a place built for trade rather than tourism. That gives it an unpretentious, lived-in character that many visitors find refreshing.

The city's best-loved landmark is its lighthouse, built in 1880 by a French company and still working, its beam carrying far out to sea. Standing on the palm-lined waterfront, it has become the symbol of the whole city and the natural place to begin an evening stroll. The long seafront promenade fills with locals at dusk, and the fish tavernas here are among the best reasons to linger.

Alexandroupoli is also a city of museums and gateways. The Ethnological Museum of Thrace is an excellent introduction to the region's layered cultures, crafts and costumes, while the port is the main departure point for ferries to Samothrace. Just to the east lies the vast Evros Delta, one of Europe's most important wetlands, and to the north the forests of Dadia, so the city works well as a comfortable base for exploring the whole corner of Thrace.

The surrounding area rewards a little curiosity. The Roman thermal springs at Traianoupoli, the archaeological zone of Mesimvria-Zone and the quiet beaches west of town along the coast towards the Nestos are all within an easy drive. This is a part of Greece few foreign visitors reach, which is much of its appeal.

Alexandroupoli is warm and busy in summer, when Greek holidaymakers arrive and the promenade comes alive, and mild but quiet in winter. Spring and early autumn are ideal, pairing comfortable temperatures with the region's rich birdlife. Most travellers stay a night or two, using the city as a hinge between the wetlands, the forest and the island offshore.